
14/1 | 17:00 | To Live to Sing
Synopsis
Zhao Li is the manager of a small Sichuan Opera troupe, living and performing together in a rundown theatre located in the outskirts of Chengdu, China. When she receives the notice of demolition for the theatre, Zhao Li hides the news from everyone else, fearing that this could spell the end of her opera troupe: besides the physical demolition of their space, it’s the life of her “family” that is at stake. As she struggles to search for a new theatre for them to both sing and live in, the opera and its fantastic characters slowly begin to seep into her real world…
Director
Johnny Ma
Screenplay
Johnny Ma
Director of Photography
Matthias Delvaux
Film Editing
Ana Godoy
Producers
Wu Xian Jian ( producer )
Matt Drake ( co-producer )
Production Company
Notable Content
Cast
Guidan Gan
Xiaoli Zhao
Duration
105’

Born as Ma Nan in Shanghai, Johnny immigrated to Toronto (Canada) at the age of ten. A graduate from the film program at Columbia University in New York. Johnny is an alumnus of the Sundance Institute Screen writing and Director’s Lab and the Venice Biennale College Lab. Johnny’s debut feature Old Stone (2016) world premiered in Berlin. It was awarded the Best Canadian First Feature Award at the Toronto International Film Festival and again at the Canadian Screen Awards. To Live To Sing (2019), his follow up, premiered at the 2019 Director’s Fortnight in Cannes. Currently Johnny calls Mexico his home